Spokane Stars Basketball

Archive for June, 2008

Ben Smithson asked:




Any person who loves to play basketball has surely dreamed of dunking like the basketball stars they see on television. However, this might be one impossible dream for someone who does not know how to jump higher in basketball.

If you want to achieve this goal, it is very important for you to be able to train your body in different aspects in order to be able to jump higher in basketball.

First things first, you will have to strengthen your muscles to be able to make that dream dunk. You can do so by getting into weight lifting or other routines which target specific areas you will use when you dunk. These areas include your calves, hamstrings and quadriceps.

As you gain more strength, you will also have to train your agility. Hard muscles can cause you to stiffen up so you might not be able to make that dunk. This is why it is very helpful if you train yourself to become more agile and flexible so that you can react right away to a certain situations and change your course of direction.

Determination, hard work and patience are very much needed if you want to be able to jump higher in basketball. There are many ways to do your exercise and the instructions for these are readily available in eBooks and weight programs. There are even specific training exercises which you can try in order to train and improve your jump.

If you want to be able to perfect that dream dunk, you should start right away. While there are a lot of programs out there that will help you jump higher in basketball, you have to be careful in which you choose, as some only offer empty promises. Review the exercise and research it so that you can be sure that you do not waste your time and get no results.

Rali Dean Todd asked:




Congratulations. Give yourself a couple of seconds to pat yourself on the back (3 times). Go ahead. Do it. No ones watching. “Rali, Why Should I pat myself on the back 3 times?

That’s easy… by reading this article you’ve just placed yourself in the top 10 % of all basketball players in the world who actively search for tips, tactics, knowledge and expertise on how to improve one’s basketball skills and produce better “on the court” results.

I know reading an article doesn’t seem like much, but it shows commitment, desire, and interest in improving your game and becoming the basketballer you know you can be. (Very few ballers show this and have this kind of mental attitude)

Think about it, on any given basketball team how many players have personal trainers/coaches? How many have some basketball improvement DVD’S or books at their home? How many players have attended basketball camps and clinics to learn game-changing basketball secrets?

It’s 10%. That’s it. I know this because I’ve done the research. I’ve owned a basketball transforming company for 6 years and those are the numbers. You’re now in that top 10% of the most committed, determined, and unique basketball players in the world. And that’s why you should give yourself a pat on the back.

So let’s get rolling with the secrets and tactics I’ve used to help non-confident ballers transform their game, shatter their fears, and easily develop unstoppable All-Star basketball confidence.

In this article, I’m going to show you 2 things:

First, the real reason behind your lack of self-confidence, what’s causing you to hold yourself back from shooting the ball or making a play, and the mental reason why you’re afraid of making mistakes out on the court.

And

Second, How you can easily develop unstoppable basketball confidence so you can step out on the court and produce the basketball results you’ve been picturing in your head (dominate the game, perform all-star plays, scoring 20 PPG or more, and wink at the cute cheerleader on the sideline with style =)

Self confidence in your soul, is equivalent to gas in your car, without it you go nowhere. Lack of self-confidence will get you on the bench or even worse, in the stands. It’s vitally important you know these secrets so you can build your self-confidence to that of an all-star.

Are you ready to inject a shot of “mental confidence’ into your game and life?

Let’s go!

So you’ve come to the realization that you’re not confident out on the basketball court? That’s a sour feeling. I know how you feel, I’ve been there myself. Now, let’s take a look at what’s really going on, and how you can easily destroy you lack of self-confidence forever.

What you really mean when you say “I’m not confident” is “I’m uncertain”.

You see, certainty is a one of the 6 human needs we all MUST have in order to live well and perform functionally. When it’s absent, all kinds of weird crap goes on in our head (including lack of self-confidence).

You’re uncertain of what’s going to happen in your next game. You’re uncertain whether you’re going to make your next shot. You’re uncertain about making the basketball team. You’re uncertain about making the right play.

You see, all a lack of self-confidence really is, is a lack of certainty. Here’s a real life example:

If you take a look at where you are right now, while your reading this article, look at the roof over your head. You’re absolutely certain that the roof above your head is not going to cave in. Your certain that it’s not going to crumble or fall. You’re certain that you are safe. If you weren’t certain about the roof above your head, would you ever go near it? Would you ever walk under it? Would you ever put your bed under it?

I didn’t think so.

The same rules apply with you and your basketball game. Your lack of self-confidence is really just a lack of certainty. The only reason why you hold yourself back is because you lack certainty. Lack of certainty is the only reason why you’re not the basketball player you want to be.

Okay, so we’ve identified the problem, that’s good, but it doesn’t produce change. Only the solution produces change. Let’s look at at the real solution to destroying your fear and lack of self-confidence once and for all.

First, don’t’ take your lack of uncertainty personal. It has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with your future. Your future is always unknown. It’s always uncertain. The only reason why you lack self confidence on the basketball court is because you’re focusing your thoughts on your fears. You’re thinking about what you don’t want to happen.

But it’s not personal. Brush it off and say, “I’m uncertain of what’s going to happen tomorrow, I’m going to do my best and go after my dream anyway.”

Second, stop focusing on what it is you fear. Fear Stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Having your mind focused on your fear is the fastest way to develop lack of self-confidence. There’s a success saying that goes a little something like this, “You become what you think about.”

If you don’t believe that, go take a look in the mirror and see if everything you think you are is reflected back to you. How you think you look. What you believe. You literary become what you think about.

You see, the mind is a goal striving mechanism, what you think about you bring about. What you focus on becomes your reality. What you believe becomes true. What you pay attention to becomes important and intensified.

Third, lower the intensity in your mind of how important producing whatever result it is you want to produce on the basketball court. Ask yourself, “From a 1 to a 10, how important is it that I do___”. If you are lacking self-confidence I’m sure that number is at least a 7 or higher.

How much would you think about it if it were only a 3 or lower? Would you still be afraid of messing up or making a mistake?

Nope, you wouldn’t care. And that’s the attitude you have to take. You have to know exactly what it is you want. Seriously committing yourself to getting what you want. Work your tail off and learn the secrets and tips others have used before you to create a similar result. And give it your best when your number is called and an opportunity is presented.

But, with the understanding, while in pursuit of your dream, you are going to make mistakes. They are inevitable. You are going to mess up. Don’t take your failures or mistakes personally. A mistake is a teacher. A mistake is a learning experience.

When you make the mistake or you mess up, recognize it, don’t take it personally, and understand the correction you need to make to guarantee you never do it again. Mistakes are not bad, but making the same mistake over and over is mental suicide.

My last suggestion for you is to stop comparing yourself, your talent, and where you are right now in your career with others. When most ballers feel inadequate or lack self-confidence, self-comparison with other players usually is lurking around. It’s a dream destroyer.

The only person you need approval from is yourself. Now if you live with your parents, there are some rules I’m sure you have to live by, but by all means don’t seek approval from anybody else. And never compare yourself to other basketball players. You have no idea how long they’ve been playing. How much training they’ve had, how many hours a week they spend working on their game, or who they’ve learned from and been coached by.

Comparing yourself is ridiculous. It will not make you better. If you want to make a goal to get to the level of play that another player is playing at, by all means, go right ahead. To pick another player as a target and say you want to be better, or as good as him or her, is healthy. But comparing your game and talent with another player is disastrous.

Don’t do it.

I’ve just shared with you some of the secrets I’ve used to transform ball players so that they can achieve their goals of being an all-star and playing college ball. The secrets I just revealed are easy and simple. Don’t take them for granted. Anything complicated is normally to hard to incorporate. It’s the simple secrets that produce an incredible change in your game.

Marian Fides Aldana asked:




Basketball is a game wherein two teams composed of five players each try to score against one another by shooting a ball through a hoop raised three (3) meters above the ground. The hoop is also known as the goal, and basketball athletes develop the necessary skills needed to propel the ball through the hoop. Each team has a goal, on opposite ends of the court, which the opposing team tries to shoot the ball into. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Both college basketball and professional leagues generally follow the same basic rules.

College basketball and the pro league owe much of their popularity to prominent athletes. The Boston Celtics, through the leadership of their legendary center Bill Russell, dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through to the 1960s. By the 1960s, professional teams from both coasts of the USA played before an audience of millions every year. Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers, himself a center player as well, was another leading athlete during the era, and his battles with Russell were watched by fans the world over. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, another a center, came into prominence during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his signature “sky hook” shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and through this move dominated the opposition.

As the ’70′s drew to a close, the game suffered a dip in popularity among viewrs. But this was resuscitated through, again, the growing popularity of its most prominent players. The face-offs between Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with re-igniting excitement into the league during the 1980s, each testing their superior skills in a decade-long rivalry. During the late 1980s Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and propelled the Bulls into stardom during 1990s. He would later be known as one, if not the, greatest basketball players of all time.

Talented high school players have a chance to further hone their skills while studying in college through college sports scholarships. Every year, coaches from various colleges search for new players to participate in their respective college teams.

The Internet has proven to be a useful venue for both students in college basketball and coaches involved in college sports scholarships. There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact.

Charles E Norman asked:




The basketball training tips outlined in this article are specifically written for kids playing organized basketball for the first time. Many parents erroneously believe that when they sign their child up to participate in a basketball league that skill development is part of the deal. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Most Youth league coaches are not qualified to train kids.

The truth is most youth league coaches are simply volunteer parents. Many of them have some experience playing basketball at least at the high school, and level many have even played in college. But their ability to play doesn’t necessarily translate into them being able to teach the game to kids who can’t even perform basic basketball skills.

Add the fact that they only have a couple of weeks to teach plays, organize practices and attend league meetings and you can understand why giving kids individual attention is nearly impossible.

3 skills kids should have before tryouts and their first practice.

The ability to dribble with both hands while moving at full speed, and then be able to stop with a 2 foot jump stop. The old red light green light game is perfect for teaching this skill. The ability to make the 3 basic passes: Chest pass, Bounce pass, and the Overhead pass. The ability to make a layup from the left side, right side and directly in front of the basket.

If they can perform these skills on the first day they will have an advantage over at least half of the other kids, which will result in more playing time.

Added Knowledge = Huge Advantage

If a child has a little bit of basic basketball IQ he will be a godsend to the coach. Give them this additional knowledge and they’ll have all of the playing time they can handle.

Know the player positions. This can be as simple as knowing the difference between the positions of guards, forwards, and center. For additional value add point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. You could also explain the responsibilities of each player, but try not to get too carried away. If you have an idea of what position they are most likely to play simply teach them the responsibilities of that position. Know areas of the court. Understanding front-court and back-court, where to stand when free throws are being shot, what to do after a basket is made, how to guard their man without fouling, in addition to a general understanding of the rules of the game will give them the head-start they need to feel confident on day one.

Where to Find Additional Basketball Training Tips and Aids.

There are many basketball training aids, instructional videos and DVD’s that can help a child with their basketball skills and knowledge, they are available from a variety of brick and mortar and online stores, just make sure the products you select are age appropriate.

Brad Maverick asked:




So you want to be a basketball star, eh? Every kid reams of having the ball in their hands with 10 seconds to go in the seventh game of the NBA Finals. You dream of launching the shot and making it through the goal before the buzzer sounds. There are some key factors to getting to the big dance:

First, you have to have hard work. Many kids these days miss the hard work that is put in by today’s professional athletes. Spending the majority of your day running sprints, lifting weights and shooting 1000 free throws is not as appealing to most people as hitting the last shot and being on TV. There are also long road trips and time spent away from those that you love. You have to be willing to set aside your family life at times.

Second, you need to be able to deeply understand teamwork. Basketball is very much a team sport. You have to be able to play well with others by looking for the open man and helping out on defense when your guy gets burnt. It is important that you support others on your journey to the top.

Lastly, you need to market yourself well. You can be great but if no one knows then what is the point? Find community groups, traveling teams, or AAU leagues to play in. Go to many summer basketball camps and get to know college coaches or other scouts. Get online and try to connect with others that might be good influencers for you.

You can pursue your passion of basketball by following these principles.